Greens would aim to get more women on bikes

The Greens have announced the final plank of the transport plan they’ll take to the ACT election: $1.1m over four years to establish a better-resourced Active Travel Office headed by a walking and cycling coordinator in a bid particularly to encourage more women and children to travel by bike.

All the Greens’ women candidates – Veronica Wensing (Yerrabi), Jen Faerber (Murrumbidgee), Indra Esguerra (Ginninderra), Caroline Le Couteur (Murrumbidgee) and Rebecca Vassarotti (Kurrajong) were on hand, most on their bicycles, for the announcement in Civic this rainy morning.

Ms Wensing, who is the ACT Greens spokesperson for women and social inclusion, said that while 39% of men ride a bicycle at least once a week in Canberra, only 13% of women do so.

“We think this is partly because women don’t necessarily feel as safe on a bicycle and on the road,” the lead candidate for Yerrabi said.

“Part of transforming our city into an active travel capital means making sure women and children can feel as confident as men travelling around our city.

“We need facilities that work for everyone – women, people with disabilities and people of all ages.”

She said the Active Travel Office would work to fix sections of road or bike paths that were unsafe due to inadequate lighting, for example, and would let Canberrans know about the infrastructure available to them.

ACT Greens leader Shane Rattenbury said his party’s transport plan would make Canberra a city that works for the community, not just the other way around.

“So far we’ve seen a Liberal party addicted to roads at the expense of the sustainable transport we need, and a Labor party that talks the talk on an active, connected Canberra but still fails to properly invest in walking and cycling infrastructure,” Mr Rattenbury said.

And yet its still illegal to try and get more men into teaching positions by offering scholarships or specific positions.
It also undermines every female academic who has actually earned their position as now every woman faces the question were they the best for the job or just because they happened to be born female.

Next thing we will see is “only LGBTGI people from Torres Strait will be considered”.

And yet its still illegal to try and get more men into teaching positions by offering scholarships or specific positions.
It also undermines every female academic who has actually earned their position as now every woman faces the question were they the best for the job or just because they happened to be born female.

there are plenty of jobs that are generally accepted as female only. I’m sure a 15 yo lad may be a top retail assistant, motivated and enthusiastic. But he is sure as blazes not likely to be employed as a fitter at somewhere like bras and things.

International cycling participation studies indicate that cities with higher rates of cycling participation by women have higher rates overall. Making female cyclist feel safe and welcome on the roads is therefore extremely important.

Seems like a good policy aim to me. Addresses several different social ills at once: health, pollution, road congestion.

” Ms Wensing, who is the ACT Greens spokesperson for women and social inclusion, said that while 39% of men ride a bicycle at least once a week in Canberra, only 13% of women do so. “We think this is partly because women don’t necessarily feel as safe on a bicycle and on the road,” the lead candidate for Yerrabi said. “

39% of men ride a bike at least once a week ? Seems like a very high % to me.

“We think this is partly because Women don’t necessarily feel as safe on a bicycle and on the road” ? We think, not know. Does anyone feel “safe on a bicycle and on the road” ? Maybe if they didn’t ride on a road, they would feel safer ? Is that because Women seem to often have a heightened sense of self preservation or do they feel “threatened” by groups of testosterone junky bike riders overtaking them all the time ?

A “walking and cycling” coordinator is a waste of ratepayers $. It will achieve nothing that effective planning, common sense, looking at a map and listening to users feedback, wont do.

Why focus on plans for “women and children” cycling? What about encouraging men to cycle with their children and take them to school, or the shops, or on whatever outing? Oops! Greens perpetuating sexist stereotyping!

As a female who cycles I have never had a problem with hat hair, or even considered it a problem. So, comb your hair after taking off the helmet. Easy.
But then, I would never go in or a useless, high maintenance hairstyle.